Willie Brown, Chief Lau,
Deputy Chief Holder, and the SFPD

A public record of arrogance, incompetence,
corruption, and brutality

"This is a whole new thing: bicycles! Nobody knows what to do. The police are just handling this by the seat of their pants. There are a whole slew of new considerations. There are no policies or guidelines for bicycle protests. I mean, like, motorcycle police can't be used on crowds of people, but, can they be used on crowds of bicycles? You see, so, nobody knows. It's a whole new area. That's what our lawyer is spending all their time on, even right now, as we speak. Nobody knows how to deal with it. We're breaking new ground. It's very exciting."
- Mary Ivas of the Office of Citizen Complaints

Backround on the inviduals involved in the planning and coordination of illegal arrests and violent attacks on San Francisco cyclists who oppose Brown's graft-riddled "development" agenda

Law and Order: Willie Brown-style

Mark Motyka contributed to this search of the public record.

  • The character and public record of Willie Brown
    1. Assembly insiders vote Brown among the least ethical
    "when it came to integrity Brown ranked 76th out of 79"
    2. The looting of San Francisco under Willie Brown
    3. The character of Wllie Brown and his associates

  • Willie Brown micromanages the SFPD
    1. Will Lau be the chief in title only?
    ". . . no mayor in recent memory has been so forthright in asserting total control over the department.
    2. Brown Axes Movie Cop Mayor says more heads will roll
    3. Jaywalking Arrest Angers S.F. Mayor

  • Illegal arrests and other assaults on human rights are common in SF
    1. City's homeless under fire - Brown's capacity to talk out of both sides of his mouth at once and the SFPD's ability to read between the lines revealed
    2. S.F. Police Dept. Assailed Over Protesters' Arrests
    3. No chance to disperse

  • The disturbing record of SFPD management
    1. San Francisco police need strong leadership to overcome a string of embarrassing scandals and unlawful behavior
    2. San Franciscans voted to police the police better - see references to Proposition G
    3. Hallinan, Fazio meet at candidates forum, pledge to vigorously prosecute police misconduct
    4. S.F. grand jury tells DA and police: Get your acts together

  • Chief Lau helped undermine the Jordan administration by fast-tracking a trivial but titilating investigation concerning then-Chief Ribera
    1. Time for chief to bail out?
    2. CAMPAIGN '95
    3. Stunning testimony in the Ribera case

  • Brown appointed Chief Lau
    See previously cited article

  • Chief Lau appointed Deputy Chief Holder
    Police staff shake-up under way

  • Holder is a longtime friend of Brown
    Brown's Choices Were Top Secret

  • Holder on the gravy train - at the public's expense
    Holder among top overtime earners

  • Excessive police violence is tolerated and even defended
    1. S.F. cop's record of misconduct shows lax departmental discipline
    2. Shot by an undercover officer at an Ingleside District playground was trying to flee on a bicycle
    3. See the disturbing record of SFPD management
    4.Cop's shooting of young man cost City $295,000, raised troubling questions about the investigation
    5. No medical treatment for pepper spray victims

  • The Office of Citizen Complaints is controlled by Brown
    1. Chief Cop Watchdog Quits S.F. Agency
    2. Jaywalking case involving S.F. official's son spurs OCC investigation of undercover cops

  • The Office of Citizen Complaints is ineffectual
    1. Renegade cops and silent candidates
    2. Indicted S.F. cop cleared by OCC
    3. Family of Man Shot by S.F. Cop Charges Whitewash in Death Probe
    4. Hearing on SOMA bust delayed

  • The career of Fred Lau
    Poison for profit - While busy chasing Chief Ribera for alleged improper sexual advances, Lau, then deputy chief of investigations, let two SFPD offifcers off the hook who were informing a ring of con artist/murders about the details of the investigation against them. The leaks were so bad that San Diego fraud detectives "cut off" further cooperation with SFPD regarding the crimes, according to police documents.

  • The career of Richard Holder
    1. Lying (down) on the job - disciplined for soliciting an act of prostitution from an undercover policewoman
    2. Deputy chief orders police to arrest every Critical Mass rider
    3. Holder defends pepper spray
    4. Top overtime cop - $118,532 339 annual salary in 1995

    "Brown has made the Police Department one of his top priorities, saying he wanted a firm hand in directing policy to make the officers more community-oriented."

    SF Examiner: Wednesday, Jan. 17, 1996 - Page A 7

    Back to"Who orders the violence?"
    Back to the home page

    To receive regular e-mail updates, write us.
    We won't share your address with anyone else and
    you can remove yourself from the list easily any time.
    Currently, we are the only source of info on this story